


Kar'taylir

by The_Shy_One



Series: Kar'ta [2]
Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Caretaking, Comfort Food, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-14 09:47:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29790105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Shy_One/pseuds/The_Shy_One
Summary: Paz and Boba are there for Din as he struggles about letting his son go.
Relationships: Boba Fett/Paz Vizsla, Din Djarin/Boba Fett, Din Djarin/Boba Fett/Paz Vizsla, Din Djarin/Paz Vizsla
Series: Kar'ta [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2189718
Comments: 4
Kudos: 93





	Kar'taylir

The first night in dealing with his grief, Paz brought him over to the one bunk on the Slave I and tucked him in, gently pulling the single blanket over the man. As he straightens up, wincing at the pain that radiates from his injuries, Din curls up on himself and asked him to leave. He heard the sniffles and the attempts at breathing quietly as he left the small room and knew that Din wanted to cry his heart out at the fact that his son wasn’t with him, but didn’t want anyone to see him. 

Paz remembers something similar happening many years before, remembers Din doing the same sort of thing when he was brought back to the base and kept away from everyone else. He was so small and quiet and a million other things that Paz knows his younger self had paid attention to when trying to get the boy to join him that was now lost to time. Something about those brown eyes, wide and filled with sadness that made Paz remember Din among the refugees and the foundlings and try to seek him out.

He didn’t let others be around him much. Din often ran off, eyes filling up with tears as if Paz had slapped him when speaking to him. It was confusing then, but Paz knew better now. Tragedy and hardship made it hard to accept help when it felt like the world was crumbling around you.

Paz would give him that privacy, that space he needed to process the first wave of grief. He would come back - with Boba in tow - to help when Din asked for that comfort.

He finds a kit and starts to apply bacta patches to the bruises and strained muscles, leaving the likely concussion he had and bones in his shoulders that had fracture lines alone until they reached wherever Boba was taking all of them. As best as he could, Paz put everything back in the kit, knowing Boba wouldn’t like a mess the next time he needed it. Then he gets up and moves through the ship, heading towards the cockpit as the engines startup.

The first night, he stayed in the cockpit with Boba, quietly watching as the ship jumped to hyperspace away from the whole situation. There was silence between them, something he hadn’t experienced with Boba before. But there wasn’t much experienced between, only the one conversation and being held against a wall. It wasn’t enough to be comfortable with each other, to spring a conversation that discussed what to do with Din in his current state, to have small conversions to distract themselves without Din around them. 

After however long of staring at the stars streaking past them, Paz decides to take the Darksaber from his belt and look over the hilt. He wondered how something so simple could hide something so powerful, could contain something so powerful. He was tempted to press the button, to let the blade rise from the cylinder and stare at the darkness, the void caught in a form that the mind could comprehend.

He resists doing that for a bit. Just long enough that when he does press the button for the blade to come out, Paz doesn’t feel bad when he hears cursing from Boba - who looks over his shoulder at him and sees him holding the Darksaber.

“Shab, warn me the next time you decide to play Jetii,” Boba says, voice rough as he gets up from his chair, looking at the saber. Then,” Why do you have the Darksaber?”

“Beat Gideon and took it from him since he’s a shabbuir aruetii.” He says, his wrist twisting to hear that hum, see the Darksaber’s black blade move. It was a beautiful weapon, something that gave power to many Mand’alors before him. “Also why Bo-Katan even agreed to help out Din with the kid, she wanted to get this back from him. Lost it to him years ago, I assume.”

Boba tilts his head, helmet following the action as he leans against the pilot’s seat. “Is that now?” Paz heard the anger in the man’s voice, calm and quiet as he stayed in his seat. It wasn’t like Paz’s anger, all-consuming and focused on pain. This was more calculating, more what he imagined from the Armorer if she were ever to get angry. “And yet she lost her right to get it back.”

Paz smirks, suddenly filled with glee. “She was horrified when she saw me holding it when I brought Gideon back to the bridge. Tried to start a fight with me over it.”

Boba chuckles, taking off his helmet. Paz didn’t flinch at the action, watching as Boba set the helmet down in the pilot’s seat with care. “She doesn’t deserve it from my knowledge about that. Doesn’t inspire the same kind of loyalty that others have done.”

“No, she didn’t. Not when she put a father and son in danger for her own goals.” Paz was many things, knew many things that members of the Vizsla clan had done to keep the Darksaber in their hands. But he knew right and wrong when it came down to the people who mattered, who mattered more than power plays and politics that plagued everything these days.

He hears the soft growl from Boba, anger palpable the more he hears about her, her deceptive tactics against Din - who was kind and gentle despite being Beroya. Who he deeply cared for if he gave up his bunk for Din to wallow about giving up his son. 

Paz should feel jealousy, hatred, something similar from off the few holos that Din managed to bring back over the years - all of them having someone jealous that the one they liked, no  _ loved, _ was taken by another, being cared for by another instead of them. 

But he doesn’t feel that way. He never did even when Din and Boba did the keldabe kiss in front of him only a day ago. 

Boba was good for Din, better than Paz would have been able to provide in the past. And probably the future since he would be trying to rally support behind him, convincing people that he was Manda’lor, that they should put the effort into reclaiming their planet. They should have a home, be somewhere that was less likely to hunt them and practice the traditions that their families, their clans had done before them.

Paz didn’t want Din or Boba to get lost in that mess, didn’t want to neglect them for something he’s been dreaming of since the Purge happened. They deserved better than that.

“What’re you thinking in that buy’ce of yours?” Boba asks, voice deep and soft. It snaps Paz out of his thoughts, remembering that he was still in another person’s presence. 

Paz pushes the button again, watches as the blade returns to the hilt. He looks up, Boba still leaning against that pilot seat, the harsh white and soft blue lights from the hyperjump outside the window outline him, makes the man appear soft and harsh all at once.

Paz thinks that he might like Boba too, even if it’s a different kind of like than what he has for Din. “I was thinking about how you’ll be taking care of Din once I find members of the Covert again. He won’t welcome being part of something like this,” He said, feels this down to his bone. “He’d rather be something that’s tangible, that does something rather than meander.”

“And you don’t?” Boba questions.

“The Darksaber is better in my hands, always will be.” Boba tilts his head, face carefully blank. Paz doesn’t squirm, only returns the saber to his belt, clipping it there.

“You’re a Vizsla,” Boba states. “Any relation to Pre Vizsla?”

Paz shrugs. His buir had never said anything about being related to Pre and he never cared to ask when learning the man lost the Darksber to a darjetii. “If there is, I don’t know about it. All I do know is that my buir taught me about clan history and how much the Darksaber means to us.”

“Is that all that matters?” There was something in Boba’s voice, one that Paz couldn’t identify.

“No, there’s been Manda’lor’s who have managed fine without the Darksaber in the past. But it would be a good symbol for reuniting as many as possible now after everything.” He said, looking to the floor. Paz wasn’t as friendly as the Armorer, but he knew that people needed hope, even for those toughened by the reality of the galaxy. 

He hears the few steps it takes for Boba to reach him. He looks up when Boba places a hand on his shoulder, wondering what the man was doing. “You don’t have to worry about us Paz,” Boba said, voice soft. “We’ll be here when you need it.”

“It won’t be for a while, just until he gets back on his feet.” He doesn’t know why he has to clarify, just that he does.

Boba chuckles and leans forward, pressing his forehead to Paz’s forehelm. It was soft and warm despite the barrier between them and Paz wishes that this moment could stay for as long as he wanted it to. “He’s not the only one who needs help, cyar’ika. You do too.”

“And do you?” Paz asks, voice suddenly small. 

“We all need help, some more than others.”

Paz couldn’t disagree with that, couldn’t at all. He just wishes he could understand what any of this means, what it’ll mean for all three of them as time marches forward.

_____________

  
  


The next time he sees Din, Din is laying in the bunk, face bare and staring at the ceiling of the room. His eyes move to see Paz enter the room, but doesn’t move when Paz shuts the door. Paz sits on the edge of the berth, watches Din as he take great effort to function like this, his brown eyes a bit more lifeless than Paz last remembered.

Silence wrapped around them, the sound of the engines barely reaching them despite the small space of the Slave I. Paz puts a hand over Din’s hand that lay on his chest, wrapping his fingers around the man’s fingers. They were bare as well, showing the small scars that he’s gained over the years, barely noticeable unless you were looking for them. 

They don’t say anything as Din slowly falls back asleep, just trying to survive without his son at his side.

_____________

  
  


Boba takes over the palace on Tatooine without much of a hassle. Paz barely looks at the throne room as he carries Din down into the cool hallways to the room that Boba said would be Din’s while they stayed there with him. It was a decent sized room, something that would have been luxurious in most places the Covert lived in since there was a bed, a few pieces of furniture to sit on and a refresher attached to the room that held a tub and a shower - a shower, not a sonic - as well.

It would have been something that Din would have been bashful to accept if he wasn’t in a haze. 

Paz put him on the bed, mattress soft and cradling Din’s body. Then with care, Paz takes off Din’s armour, leaving the helmet for the man to take off himself. Din might have broken the Creed, might not be part of the Covert any longer when he revealed his face to everyone on the Imperial Freighter, but it would have felt wrong to take it off himself, to take away Din’s choice to take it off.

He turns away to place the armour on a chest at the end of the bed, hears the soft sound of the seal releasing and returns to Din’s sad brown eyes staring up at the ceiling. The helmet is nestled on his chest, rising and falling with the motions of his breathing, shining in the light of Tatooine's two suns. 

“Daryc sur’haai,” Paz said softly, sitting on the edge of the bed,” are you hungry?”

It takes a moment, the silence quick to fill in as Din blinks his eyes and looks his way. He stares as if he suddenly notices Paz is there, emotions coming and going before Paz has a chance to study them. Then,” Yes.”

“Anything particular?” He has to ask, has to make sure. It’s been so long since Din sat down with him, with any of the Covert to eat a meal that he’s not sure what Din likes to eat anymore.

“Red Gourd Soup,” Din says, looking brighter for a moment when he says it. Paz smiles, remembering how as a child Din would often request the dish. Maybe he hasn’t changed his taste despite being all over the galaxy.

“I’ll get it, daryc sur’haai, I’ll make it just for you,” Paz leans forward and presses his helmet to Din’s forehead. Without the helmet or the vocalizer to cover for Din’s reactions, Paz hears the soft, shuddering breath that comes from the man.

It does something to his chest, makes him feel a million different things all at once to hear how affected Din is.

Paz pulls away after a few moments, moving to leave the room. He doesn’t hear any sniffling or shuddering breath as he closes the door, but he knows that Din is still hurting even with the small moment of reprieve from his hurt.

He goes through the hallways, mapping them out on his HUD in his helmet as he tries to find the kitchen. He doesn’t doubt that Bib Fortuna had stocked his kitchen - the bloated corpse that he saw on his way past the throne room is proof enough - but he doubts he could find everything that he would need to make the soup the way that he vaguely remembers Din liking. But it would be better to look through the pantry, to see if he could make the soup as a way to comfort Din.

Fennec ends up following Paz at some point, quietly directing him towards the kitchen. She doesn’t try to strike a conversation, somehow sensing that this was a personal mission for him - which he’s grateful for. She was a quiet person overall, footsteps muted as she kept up with his strides, almost disappearing if she didn’t say which way to go.

They ended up at one of the entrances for the kitchen and Paz sees Boba pulling out ingredients for the soup, his helmet on this time. Fennec walks across the room to another door, leaving them without a word. Boba turns his head, visor staring at him and somehow Paz could tell the man was smiling at him, happy to see him.

“You know what he likes?” Boba asks once Paz walks closer to the man. “Have all kinds of stuff in the kitchen, but Bib liked to indulge more than he liked to focus on keeping his clients satisfied, so not everything is here.”

It takes a moment for him to realize that Boba wants to comfort Din as well even with picking up the pieces of the palace he’s taken over. Paz gets closer, looking over the ingredients that Boba has managed to pull out. Most of it was stuff Din liked, but,” Need some yellow citrus,” Paz says,” He likes having some slices of yellow citrus in the soup.”

Boba nods and goes to find it, leaving Paz to start prepping the food. He’s slicing one of the other ingredients that looked like a bulb, losing himself in the task. His buir’s words about what he should be doing guide his actions, moving to place them near a machine that would fry the sliced pieces. 

In the background, Boba prepares the broth, putting it on the counter. Then as Paz focuses on frying the sliced bulb, Boba starts to put other ingredients into the pot, familiar with the recipe enough not to be instructed. They worked together like this, adding ingredients to the pot until all that was left was to cook it all together.

They stand away from the stove, watching as the burner underneath grows red. “How’d you find out he wanted this?” Paz asks, curious. He would have asked earlier, but he was more focused on getting the meal prepped and on the stove. 

Boba doesn’t answer right away. Paz waits, watches the other man. Then.” He told me that his favourite meal was Red Gourd Soup since he was taken in as a foundling. Reminded him of comfort.”

“And you figured you would prepare it while I took him to his room.”

Boba nods. “I needed to do something, he’s lost right now. Probably will be until he can see the kid again.”

Paz nods in agreement, knowing that’s how it’ll play out. “Than at least we should work together if we want to help him.”

“I thought we already were.” When Paz doesn’t say anything in reply, Boba sighs. “Din wants the two of us and I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to cozying up to you since you’re competent and make him happy. What do you want out of this, Paz? Because I won’t let him go if all you want is him.”

“I want him,” He starts, seeing Boba’s shoulders tense for a moment as he continues,” But I also want you as well. Don’t know how much, but the feelings are there.”

“Romantic after my heart.”

“You asked and that’s how I’m telling you.”

He hears Boba chuckling, soft and deep as he reaches over to Paz to hold his hand. “Blunt, could be useful in more than one area.”

Images flash in Paz’s mind, most of them involving a bed. But he stops himself from pulling Boba close, needing to keep calm so they can take a bowl of the soup to Din’s room. “Try me at a later date.”

“Deal cyar’ika,” And with that, they wait for the soup to warm and cook, basking in the silence.

_____________

Paz returns to Din’s room with a bowl of soup, Boba following behind them. Din moves his eyes from the ceiling to him, the corners of his mouth going up enough that Paz knew he was happy to see the two of them and his favourite meal. They situate the room so that he and Boba can sit at the side of the bed, keeping Din in sight.

There was the soft sound of a content sigh when Din takes his first spoonful of the soup and Paz’s heart soars.

The rest of the meal is in silence, nothing needing to be said between them. Paz takes the bowls of all three of them, getting up to return them to the kitchen to clean. He let Boba be the one to tuck the blanket over Din’s body this time, just as soft and gentle as Paz was on the Slave I the night before.

**Author's Note:**

> Kar'taylir - Hold in the Heart  
> Shab - Fuck  
> Jetii - Jedi  
> Shabbuir - Motherfucker  
> Aretuii - Outsider  
> Beroya - Bounty Hunter  
> Cyar'ika - Sweetheart  
> Daryc sur’haai - Brown Eyes
> 
> Finally got around to writing the first chapter to this! Had a moment last week where looking at a screen for anything besides coursework was turning my brain to mush. So had to take a minibreak for longer projects like this to save my sanity, so that's why it took me a bit to get this out. But I'm definitely excited to write this out bc I really want to explore the relationship between all three while Din recovers emotionally.
> 
> Hopefully, it was a fun chapter to read! :D


End file.
